A joint investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and Linden Police Department has led to the arrest of an accused drug ring leader and four other men, as well as the seizure of 100 grams of raw fentanyl, two handguns and over $4,000 cash.

Law enforcement carried out pre-dawn raids on June 20 at homes in Linden, Phillipsburg and Middlesex Borough.

Jawwaad Butler, 43 of Phillipsburg, was charged with first-degree leader of a narcotics trafficking network and third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.

Justin Williams, 42 of Middlesex Borough, was charged with second-degree possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.

Two men from Linden, 58-year-old William Randle and 50-year-old Dameon Little, were each charged with third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance and third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

A third Linden resident, 35-year-old Clifford Jones, was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance and fourth-degree possession of a large capacity magazine.

Williams also faced third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, second-degree possession of a firearm while committing a CDS offense, second-degree certain persons not to possess a weapon and fourth-degree possession of a large capacity magazine.

After their arrests, Butler and Williams remained in custody pending the outcome of the case, while Little, Jones and Randle were released on pre-trial monitoring pending their next court appearance.

“Together with the extensive collaboration with our partner local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, our tireless efforts to diminish the devastating impact of opioids and guns in the communities we serve continue,” Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said in a written release.

The three-month investigation involved law enforcement at the local, county, state and federal levels — including the Drug Enforcement Agency Newark Field Division, State Police Electronic Surveillance Unit, Union County Sheriff’s Office, SWAT Teams from Union, Middlesex and Warren counties, and local police in Elizabeth, Cranford, Springfield, Roselle Park and Hoboken.

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